An overview of the international criminal jurisdictions operating in Africa

The experiences of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda , the Special Court for Sierra Leone, and the International Criminal Court, have shown that despite being the continent where most of these crimes have been committed in the past couple of decades, Africa is also a continent clearly devoted to furthering accountability for such atrocities.

Jamie A. Williamson is ICRC Regional Legal Advisor, previously Legal Officer with the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in The Hague

Abstract

Whilst the African continent has been beset with many of the modern-day conflicts, and with them violations of international humanitarian law, through the work of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, the Special Court for Sierra Leone and the International Criminal Court, African states have demonstrated their intent to hold accountable the perpetrators of the gravest international crimes. By the end of 2005, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda celebrated its eleventh year, the Special Court for Sierra Leone will have completed its fourth year, and the International Criminal Court will be more than three and a half years old. As the present review of their activities shows, the delivery of justice through international jurisdictions is a complex and often time-consuming process.